My Friend Across the Pond

i loved last week's SC Sunday Sketch based on one of Stephanie Howell's layouts.

Sketches are a great starting off point for me. i love the creative process but sometimes it's fun to let go of the pressure of designing and just follow a sketch, it certainly takes me less time to put a page together!

i've had this photo sat on my desk since December (although it was taken in 2007 and yes it's not a particularly flattering one of either of us!), waiting for me to tell the story of Dianne & i's friendship. Then as i was sorting through supplies i came across the Jet Set paper from the SC Documentary line & knew it would be perfect for this page. 

We met on the first day of my round the world trip, in Tokyo. i'd already been out on my own to visit a temple and met a (hot) Aussie guy, who had been very friendly to me. The chap had told me where he was staying and said if i wanted to get something to eat later then to ask for him. However, one of the last things my mum had said to me at the airport before i left was DON'T TRUST ANYONE (i think by this she meant men), and this was still ringing in my ears. So i decided not to go, and headed back to my hostel. Then i sorely regretted not going to meet him because i didn't have anyone to eat dinner with and frankly Japanese blew my mind at that time, i didn't know what any of it was! It was very quiet back at the hostel but Dianne was in my dorm and i got chatting to her so we went out for dinner and that was that. i couldn't have struck it any luckier because Dianne's grandparents live in Tokyo and she can speak Japanese, so she was somewhat of a tour guide for the next few days. i'm sure that i would not have had such a fantastic time there if it wasn't for her, the underground system is terribly confusing, she took me to some pretty cool places i would never have found on my own and steered me away from the oddest foods. So for that i will be eternally grateful for. Not only that, but Dianne has become a wonderful friend. It turned out we had lots in common, we both love photography and have similar taste in books, she is always recommending things to me (i usually have to wait a few months for them to be released here though!) and i in turn tell her about the latest British indie music she needs to check out. She visited me back in 2008, coming in August hoping to catch the British summer, but typically it rained the entire 3 weeks!  Unfortunately i haven't had the pennies to go and visit her in Washington yet, but it's on my 'to-do' list, i would be there tomorrow if i could! We keep in touch over e-mail, facebook and skype (but not as often as we'd like) and we instantly fall back into our friendship, i really feel that i can tell her anything & she always gives me wonderful advice. Plus she sends me the most amazing happy mail, full of scrapbooking stash and  Reeces pieces! My heart is full of love for this girl! It's about time she was scrapbooked. 

In other news i went to see The King's Speech last week. i go to the cinema a fair bit, but rarely mention it here. i urge you to go see this movie! It is hugely entertaining, sad and funny. Colin Firth's performance is outstanding and he deserves all the awards he's been nominated for! i LOVE awards season!

My camera broke (insert big sad face)! It needs a new circuit and will cost about £150 to fix!! i think it will be cheaper to try and get a second hand body instead, so i'm keeping my eye out. i'm feeling very lost without it! Luckily, my flatmate has a camera that she never uses so i'm borrowing that for now. Don't think i'm going to have many pictures for my Document 2011 project for January though!

Also, i am very confused about all this Zodiac nonsense, apparently i'm an Ophiuchus now, what?!? i have a phobia of snakes, so this can't be true!